Page 39 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

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all lined up on one side of the fence of the cattle kraal, but in good order. After them, another regiment followed, all with red shields and tails, then one in black, one in red-coloured, one in black and white etc. Every regiment displayed its dances and jumps and sang its war songs and then moved to the side until they were all there and stood in a big circle. Then they started singing a song together, waved with their right hands and called, “Osa nkosi, osa nkosi” until the chief and his daughters came out of his hut, also dressed with tails, spear and shield and knobkierie, his daughters with bead jewellery, but almost naked.
They then went and stood at the centre of the circle of warriors and then the hundreds of warriors danced and jumped and sang with the chief and his daughters and other girls as well in the middle that the earth shook. The women of the tribe whistled and called outside the circle in front of the huts. It was such a noise.
When everything was in full swing, a huge thunderstorm
broke loose that everybody scattered and ran into their huts. We ran with the chief and his daughters into his hut where it was completely dark until the thunderstorm had passed. All warriors, also the chief had long white or black ostrich feathers on the head.